Taking cues from the Arab revolution

The spark lit by Egyptian protestors is spreading like a wildfire across the Arab world. Rulers and governments from Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Oman, and Bahrain are facing uprisings that will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the greatest mass political movements of the 21st century.

As students of American River College it's easy to say we don't support crazy, power-hungry autocrats like Libyan leader Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, but culture-defining revolutions like this one require more than rhetoric and soon-forgotten proclamations of dislike by the students of this institution.

The United States has made its position clear in the case of Libya where leaders, including President Barak Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have called for Qaddafi's resignation.

Recently, Morocco and Ivory Coast have shown unrest among their citizens as well, with the latter on the verge of civil war.

The body of people from these countries crave a society like ours. One in which they can express opinion without the threat of going to prison or bullets whizzing by their heads, or for that matter, the heads of the their family members and friends.

We, as students and equal-opportunity citizens, have a major advantage that these protestors don't; yet we often fail to take advantage of such a wide open system. While our problems may not be quite as severe as the ones citizens are facing in these African and Arab countries, the U.S. and a broken California are in dire need of change on many political levels.

Our opinions vary greatly on what those issues may be, but our right to stand up for what we believe is a common thread that we should all take advantage of.

While we set an example as a peaceful democracy, the protestors set an excellent example of passion on which we should all take notes.

This is not a call to hop on a plane and join the fight in Libya. Don't do that. Please, don't do that.

If you are looking for a place to start, the "March in March" is a peaceful demonstration by the students of California higher education in response to unwanted changes in the education system. The event takes place Monday, March 14 at 10 a.m. starting at the California Auto Museum and ending at the steps of the state Capitol.

If you came face to face with a Libyan rebel and he or she asked what about your society makes you angry, what would you say? Better yet, would you be able to say you've made an effort to change that situation with some action beyond that of a Facebook post?

The sad fact is that most would probably answer "no." We at the Current plead for that answer to be "yes." Be a rebel, in the most peaceful way possible, be a rebel.